The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-12-16
1AMAR'S REPORT.
Operations of the Interior Depart
ment For the Past Year.
&he Disposition of Pablo Lands-Fsn tries,
Surveys, Ete.-EOrlx of the Pension
Bureau, Patent once, IN
dian Bureau. Etc.

Secretary Lamar, in his annual report OF the
operations of the Interior Department. says:
Perhaps the most difficult and important duty
with which this department Is charged is the
administration of the public land system. The
Eheater of It's operations embraces nearly
Ghree-fourths of the area OF the American States
and Territories, and the vital influence exer-
eised by the distribution OF land ownership
Grafton of the system of profound Importance
TO the present and future prosperity Of the
eountry.
Under existing laws it is apparent that the
area OF our public land is rapidly diminishing.
This would not be an evil if the lands were
passing from the Government to seats OF
actual occupation by bona fide settlers, or
bona fde purchasers for purposes OF settle
ment. Nothing can be surer safeguard in a
free community against the dominating in
1uences Of powerful corporations and COM
binations of capital than body Of inde-
pendent small land owners living upon their
own freCholds. B0t the facts are known 20 be
otherwise. 1t is a subject to which have been
forced by the necessities OF my position to give
much thought ana the conclusion to which
have come is that most of the troubles and
abuses that environ it can be removed by legis-
lative action, and that such action is the sole
remedy.
A detailed statement Of the work performed in
the General Land ONCE and its various agencies
throughout the country is fully set forth in the
report of the commissioner and the documents
Herewith submitted. It shows commendable
zeal in the purpose TO preserve the public
domain, to prevent fraud and illegality in the
requirement Of large areas of public land and
to recover them from unlawful possession and
appropriation.
The commissioner states that the following
amounts of lands have been restored to the pub
lie domain since March 4, 1885:
Acres
Area within railroad limits. ..... 8,958, SO
Area within railroad indemnity
lLllts. = 20 53 919 NJ
EIlvaIe Ll 250'9o5.9, 2d9 95 ~
Invalid swamp and other State se-
loetions eanceled.... .....-...... 300 Fo4.4e
Total restored to the public
domain. .......... H.. 81, ,824, 48f 20
In the effort to ascertain the proportion OF the
above amount which was restored during the
last fiscal year, caused d thorough examination
of the records of the Land Department to be
made but was unable to obtain the desired IN
However. the investigation resulted in show
ing that from March 5, 1888, to October ], 1887,
the number of entries Cancelled for fraud,
iIegality, abandonment and other causes
amount to 91,07S embracing an area Of 14,23S,
91304 acres, making an aggregate Of lands re-
stored 70 tne pq6ne domain q 4o,oo3,-
1914 acres. In addition there are suits
in the United States courts and matters pend
ing before the department., involving the ques-
tiOn of the restoration Of many millions more
acres, amounting in the aggregate to 9,499, 4S0.-
10. OF this amount ? S97, $50 s. acres were ''ad-
Judged by the Commissioner to be subject to
recovery under the adjustment of railroad
grants, so fer as such adjustments have been
completed
DISPOSAL OF PUBLIC LANDS.
From the report Of the Commissioner of the
Eeueral Lana UI1ce II appears LQ1b bue num-
Der of acres Of land disposed OF during the past
fiscal year, under the various acts of Congress
authorizing sales, entries and selections, aggre-
gates Sill ,40.Sf, Of which 746,637.29 acres
were Indian lands, 5,511, 738 railroad selec-
tions, and 2,10943l.43 selections under
other grants, the aggregate amount
showing Increase of 4,662, ,524 80
acres as compared with the previous year. The
receipts from disposal Of the public lands were
SO 7S3 921 72 from sales Of Indian lands 81 4S4,
e0230, total of 81, ,26S 22402, an increase over
the previous year OF 1924 ,12T0S. TO which is
to be added IS, ,29l received on account OF tim
ber depredRtons, and s12, 493G5 received for
certified copies of records furnished by the
General Land ONCE, making receipts Of that
bureau from all sources, 81. .2S9. 913.67.
The total number Of entries and filings made
during the year was 2aS, 17S, covering s., 337,-
339. Al acres; an increase Of 1,T70 over the pre-
vious year; whilst the number Of original home
stead entries was 52,02S. covering an area OF
1884 35Q.16 acres, q decrease Of $50 entries
and $50 rs. 90 acres. Final proof was made on
1857 homestead entries, OF which I0,S11 were
eommuted homestead entries, and SSf pur-
chased under the act Of June IS, 1880; an in
crease OF SO entries and OF So 505 65 acres. The
pre-emptien entries were 21, ,403, embracing
&172, ,411.50 acres: an Increase entries
and of 893. .Iq3.4I acres.